Area Converter
Convert between metric and imperial area units. Useful for property, land, and construction.
Reviewed by Richard Ross · Last updated April 2026
How Area Converter works
Metric area units
1 m² = 10,000 cm². 1 hectare = 10,000 m². 1 km² = 100 hectares = 1,000,000 m². Hectares are commonly used for land and agricultural areas in the UK.
Imperial area units
1 ft² = 144 in². 1 yd² = 9 ft². 1 acre = 4,840 yd² = 43,560 ft². 1 square mile = 640 acres. Property in the UK is often measured in sq ft for interiors and acres for land.
Acres and hectares
1 acre = 0.404686 hectares. 1 hectare = 2.47105 acres. UK agricultural land is commonly measured in hectares for official purposes but acres in common usage.
UK property market conventions
UK estate agents typically list internal floor area in square feet (ft²) for residential property, though planning applications and EPC certificates use square metres. A typical UK semi-detached house is around 85–100 m² (915–1,075 ft²). Land and garden sizes are advertised in acres for rural property and square metres or square feet for urban plots. Knowing both systems is essential when comparing listings.
Agricultural and rural land measurement
England and Wales register farmland in hectares for subsidy and planning purposes, following EU-derived rules retained post-Brexit. However, auctioneers and farmers routinely quote acreages in everyday speech. Scotland uses the same metric-legal, imperial-practical split. A typical UK smallholding might be described as '5 acres' (2.02 ha), while DEFRA grant applications require the figure in hectares.
Common mistakes with area conversions
Area scales as the square of length, so doubling a length quadruples the area. A room 4 m × 4 m = 16 m²; doubling to 8 m × 8 m gives 64 m², not 32 m². A frequent error is converting length units and then forgetting to square the factor. For example, 1 m² ≠ 100 cm²; it equals 10,000 cm² (100 × 100).
Frequently asked questions
How many square feet in a square metre?
1 m² = 10.7639 ft².
How many acres in a hectare?
1 hectare = 2.47105 acres. 1 acre = 0.404686 hectares.
How big is an acre in square metres?
1 acre = 4,046.86 m². This is approximately the size of a standard football pitch.
How many square metres in a square foot?
1 ft² = 0.092903 m².
How do I calculate the floor area of a room in square metres?
Measure the length and width of the room in metres, then multiply them together. For an L-shaped or irregular room, divide it into rectangles, calculate each area separately, and add them together. Always measure at the widest points and subtract any alcoves or chimney breasts.
How many square metres is a typical UK house?
The average UK new-build house is around 76 m² (818 ft²). A typical semi-detached house is 85–100 m². A detached four-bedroom home might be 120–160 m². The UK has some of the smallest new-build homes in Europe.
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